Santa Fe

Santa Fe is the capital of the US state of New Mexico and the seat of Santa Fe County. The Tanoan Pueblo tribe settled along the Santa Fe River for its water and transportation, and the river had a year-round flow until the 1700s. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate led the first European attempt to colonize the region, founding Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico. The original capital was San Juan de los Caballeros to the north of Santa Fe, and Don Pedro de Peralta founded a new city, La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In 1610, Santa Fe was designated as the new capital, and it became important to fur traders based in St. Louis, Missouri. Santa Fe passed from Spanish to Mexican control in 1824, and, in 1841, the Republic of Texas launched a poorly-equipped, failed attempt to capture Santa Fe from Mexico. In 1846, Stephen W. Kearny led the 1,700-strong US Army of the West to occupy Santa Fe and the rest of New Mexico, and the US officially gained New Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. During the American Civil War, the Confederates occupied Santa Fe for a few days during March 1862, but the Confederates were forced to withdraw following the Battle of Glorieta Pass. Santa Fe was bypassed by the major railroads and suffered gradual economic decline into the early 20th century, but it became a base for numerous writers and artists. In 1912, when New Mexico became a US state, Santa Fe remained its capital, and the city began to attract artists, writers, and retirees who appreciated the cultural richness of the area, the beauty of its landscapes, and its dry climate. During World War II, Santa Fe housed relocation centers for Japanese, German, and Italian nationals, as they were detained as "enemy aliens". In 2016, Santa Fe had a population of 83,875 people.